"Among the hosts, only Bulgaria did not make it into the Top 8 of EuroVolley 2026." A similar headline appeared in the Bulgarian press after our national team's elimination, and at first glance, everything in it is accurate. Italy, Finland, and Romania advanced to the quarterfinals, Bulgaria did not. However, there is another side to this story, because the four hosts did not follow the same path to the Top 8.
This is not an attempt to justify the elimination
It is important to clarify this at the outset. This is not an attempt to justify Bulgaria's elimination. Gianlorenzo Blengini's team was leading 2-0 in sets against Germany, was just one set away from the quarter-finals, and allowed a complete comeback to 2-3. Bulgaria had the match in its hands and failed to close it out. But when the four hosts are placed side by side, who they played against also matters. That's why we looked at the world ranking at the beginning of EuroVolley, before the results of the championship itself began to change the positions in it.
Six teams from the Top 12 in one bracket
Bulgaria's group in Sofia crossed over in the 1/8-finals with the group in Cluj. These two groups included #1 Poland, #8 France, #9 Bulgaria, #10 Turkey, #11 Ukraine, and #12 Germany. Six teams – and all six among the top 12 in the world. In the other bracket, that of the groups in Italy and Finland, the picture was different. There, the highest-ranked were #2 Italy, #4 Slovenia, and #13 Serbia, followed by #16 Finland and #18 Belgium.
For the Top 15, the difference is 6 versus 3
If we draw the line at the Top 15, we get six teams in the Sofia–Cluj bracket versus three in the Italy–Finland bracket. If we move it to the Top 10, the ratio is again double – 4 versus 2. Interestingly, when expanding to the Top 20, the difference practically disappears. This only emphasizes the peculiarity of the bracket Bulgaria fell into – its six highest-ranked teams were gathered between first and 12th place in the world.
In the 1/8-finals, numbers turned into opponents
#9 Bulgaria met #12 Germany. #16 Finland played #23 Greece, and #2 Italy played #31 Denmark. Finland and Italy overcame their opponents and reached a direct match against each other in the quarter-finals.
Romania showed why the draw is not an excuse
Romania is the best proof of why all this should not become an alibi for Bulgaria. The Romanians were in the same tough bracket, met #11 Ukraine and eliminated them 3-0 (25:22, 25:21, 30:28). They did what Bulgaria failed to do against Germany – they won their 1/8-final. Therefore, there is no need to look for an excuse for the 2-3 against the Germans. The numbers simply show that a direct comparison between the four hosts based solely on who reached the Top 8 misses a significant part of the picture.
The fact is true, but there is also context
Bulgaria remained the only host outside the quarterfinals. This is a fact. However, another fact is that our national team was in a bracket with six of the top 12 teams in the world, and already in the 1/8-final, #9 had to play against #12. Neither cancels the other. But when the two facts are placed side by side, the story looks different from the impression a headline might leave.
